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09 October, 2024  Beginner Skills Development Program

Ten new club members met at the pond to spend 4 hours learning hands on rod assembly, kn ot tying and casting drills:  Jan, Trish, Eri, Shelley, Alice, Kim, Susan, Alicia, Pamela, Daniel.
There were seven instructors/mentors to help them:  Steve, Catherine, Mike, Jeff, Paul, Rick and Don.
It was a beautiful day with nice weather and barely any wind.

10/28/2024 to 11/06/2024 Christmas Island (aka Kiritimati or cix​)

A group of 9 RRFF friends paid their way to go on a hosted guided fly fishing trip (host Brad Staples of Fishing with Larry) to Kiritimati (Christmas Island), the largest atoll in the world, to fish primarily for Bonefish, Trigger fish and Giant Trevally.   This is one of 32 atolls in the Republic of Kiribati, an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean., straddling the equator and  Christmas Island is adjacent to the international dateline and the world's first to welcome the new year.   We stayed at The Villages.  These are a mix of the photos organized in somewhat of a sequence - travel to Oahu Hawaii for an overnight, travel south to Kiritimati, fishing and returning  This was a first trip for most of this group with several having been there once or twice before. 
Be sure to check out the photos and the two videos of our landing below.  
​Mike Spurlock, Dave Stone, Jeff Cratty, Dan Powers, Penelope, Joerg Olson, Doug Mackay, Don Shaw, Gregg Wrisley
Arrival and landing videos on Christmas Island

10/26/2024 wading clinic

We held our second wading clinic at 8 am at Del Rio Woods Regional Park in Healdsburg with a total of 18 participants (men and women)  including 5 mentors.     The Russian River was flowing at 160 cfs which is well below the 300 cfs that would allow fishing but which was perfect for wading.  We started by having mentors wader up and each of us explain our equipment (waders, boots, wading staff and fishing equipment, helpful to those who are just beginning and are yet to acquire equipment.  Then we got into how to evaluate a stream for safe wading and how to safely wade with a wading staff.  By then, the morning warmed up and participants were able to enter the water and practice and later practice crossing the river arm and arm with a partner.  Some had waders and some did not and practiced with shorts and tennis shoes.   By noon,  it was time to head to Healdsburger for lunch.  After lunch, some of us made a short side trip to visit the place on the Russian River where Dry Creek enters the Russian.

10/11-14/2024 Trinity River

Ed, Dave and Mike drifted the Trinity spey fishing for steelhead with guides Peter Santley and Andreas Fuhrmann.
Don't miss the video below.
Dog attack on the Trinity

10/11-13/2024 lewiston Lake

   Ed Barich hosted the annual October trip to Lewiston Lake where we camped at Lakeview Terrace Resort.  Some people fished the lake for trout using various  watercraft while others fished the Trinity River for steelhead and we all met for pot luck meals on Friday and Saturday and had a great time.  Be sure to check out the videos below!  And they are downloadable if you want them!
Hungry deer at dinner time.
Ed with a jumping trout!

9/27-29/2024 Digger Creek Ranch

See article in the November 2024 Cast and in the July 2015 Cast (the last time we were there).

9/12-15/2024 Webber Lake

See article in October 2024 Cast .

8/31/2024 Foothill Regional park new member flyfishing 

This was our second new member outing at Foothill Regional Park in Windsor.   A group of 13 casters assembled mostly 5 weight fly rods with floating lines and fished for bluegill and large mouth black bass.  8 mentors helped guide them.  Fish were caught, mostly bluegill and one bass.  All seemed to enjoy the day and learned something new.

under construction.....

What is a Sacramento Pikeminnow?
Ptychocheilus grandis

Features: Flattened head; large mouth; long torpedo-shaped body; etc.

​
​Habitat:Rocky, deep pools in streams, river.
Length: to 4 feet.
Weight: to 30.lbs.
Bait options: Minnows, wet flies, spinners, stickbaits..
What is a Northern Pike?
Esox lucius

Features: Duck-billed snout; cheek entirely scaled to top half of gill cover; pole-like body; olive back, sides w/yellow oval spots.

​Habitat: Lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams w/vegetation.
Length: to 4 feet.
Weight: to 45 lbs.
​Bait  - Live minnows, crayfish, spoons, stick bait lures, wet flies.

August 24-26, 2024
​Pikeminnow Derby on South fork of Eel River

You won't find this one on the calendar.   A while back, Ed saw a notification that CalTrout had organized a fishing Derby targeting a non-native species on the South Fork of the Eel River.  He gathered a few of us to try this out, thinking it might make a good RRFF outing  for next year.   We camped at Richardson Grove State Park.  The first afternoon, we caught nothing, not knowing where to fish or what to use.  We continued scouting the next two days and figured it out.  We fished from Piercy to Miranda catching (but not releasing) 78 fish which were retained to make compost.  Most in the 6" to 10" range with a few up to 17-20+" range.  We submitted some results and will have to see if any of us win anything.  Participation:  Board Members Ed, Jeff, Gregg, Penelope,  Mike S, and Cast Editor Dave.  Details will be in the September Cast.

8/17-18/2024 Youth Flyfishing class

RRFF put on a two day class for a group of 10 boy scouts led by scout leader, parent and RRFF member Eric Byous.  This was organized by Gregg Wrisley and supported by 17 RRFF members.  This is the 3rd time such a class has been held. 
> Day 1 included knot tying and fly casting at the RRFF pond. 
> Day 2 included creek conservation and aquatic insects, fly tying, and fishing for bluegills at the Cloverdale KOA pond.   
The kids caught some fish and had a great time.​

8/3/2024 Saturday "Teach the Teachers" Casting instruction class

On a very warm day at the pond, our Casting Instruction Chairman,  Steve Tubbs, conducted a 3 hour class for 12 club members on how to teach new casters how to learn to cast.   We also gained insites into improving our own casts.   A copy of the Instruction Notes is below.

Thank you Steve.  Thank you Maria for the photos
2024_rrff_teach_the_teachers_program_-_instruction_notes.pdf
File Size: 168 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

7/20/2024  Saturday social with ggacc women

Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club women invited the RRFF Women's Group to their casting ponds in Golden Gate Park for a day of casting, socializing and a potluck lunch.
In a week in July, the club hired guide Peter Santley to coach two groups on the Truckee river.

7/13/2024  truckee river clinic - less experienced

7/10/2024  truckee river clinic - more experienced

July 4th Picnic at the Pond

Organized by Don and Jan Shaw!

06/27-30/2024 Almanor Hex Hatch

Leader Mike Tibbet

05.30-06.02.2024 Baum Lake/Hat Creek outing

Leader Ed Barich.
The outing was to Baum Lake and Hat Creek.  Some people went to Manzanita Lake in Lassen Park one day to check out the fishing there.   John and Bob fished Manzanita on Saturday (caught browns) and floated the Fall River on Sunday with good results for rainbows (see the first 6 slides). 

The Manzanita outing is scheduled for June 14-16.  Several short videos also added below.

05.03-05.2024 Pyramid Lake 

Although the catching was slow, the fishing was interesting, especially Saturday with the 40+ MPH winds. The group dinners were the highlight, not to mention the inspired karaoke singing!
Check out videos below the slideshow - after it starts, click on lower right to go full screen.​

04.19-21.2024 Clearlake Outing for bass and crappie

About a dozen club members met for a weekend outing at Clearlake in mid April.   Most of us were concentrating on crappie, and because they tend to run in schools, it can take awhile to locate them.  A few were caught on Friday in Soda Bay.   We met for dinner at Pogo's Pizza in Kelseyville.   Most members camped at the State Park.   The weather was great.  And no mosquitoes!   Saturday and Sunday fishing improved with lots of crappie, up to 15", and a few bass, up to 19" caught mainly around reeds in the county Park.  The float and fly setup was what most anglers caught fish on.   A special thanks to Don Shaw and Gregg Wrisley for helping some of our newer members with their fishing!

02.17.2024 Winter Dinner

STeelhead Day Trips Jan / feb 2024 - fishing Steelhead Green Gualala river

​On Jan.30 and Feb.13, Ed Barich led Steelhead Day trips to the Gualala River. These days were picked to be just prior to big Pacific storms with steely-green flows less than 600cfs. Some small fish were caught, but bigger ones were seen rolling. Spey casting photos of Joe, Penelope, Dave and Ed were taken by James Kibler.
                            Who Are Russian River Fly Fishers? 
People of all ages who enjoy fly fishing, located in Sonoma County, California.  The club's roots go back to the summer of 1976 in Norm Sutcliffe's sporting goods store in downtown Santa Rosa.
        Activities:
  • The Club offers outings throughout the year to various nearby locations (click on "Club Calendar & Trip Signups").  Outings offer good fellowship and a chance to learn and share fishing experiences.  
  • The Club's fly casting pond (100'x 180' x 18") was dedicated in May of 1986.  Club members meet at the pond to practice and to offer free instruction to those wanting to improve their casting skills.  The pond, open to the public, is one of only four public ponds in the state.  
  • Club meetings in Santa Rosa offer fly tying, member fishing reports and discussion, a great raffle, and a featured guest speaker who is often a well known angler.
  • Additional activities include a monthly women's group outing, fly tying meeting, day fisher group outing and an annual Cioppino Dinner Fundraiser. 

    Primary Objectives of the club:
  • To advance, promote, practice and teach the art of angling with artificial flies.
  • To encourage the members and fisher persons everywhere to practice the high standards of sportsmanship long associated with fly fishing.
  • To promote conservation and protection of wild game fish
Mouth of the Russian River